A 40 page, soft-cover booklet called “Northern Grain Production – a farming systems approach” has become a grains industry “best-seller”, with the initial 2500 copies gone in less than three months and another 2000 ordered from the printer.

Published with the support of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Mt Tyson Seeds, the booklet uses research results and grower testimonials to promote the benefits of chickpeas in farming systems in northern NSW and southern and Central Queensland.

Chickpeas are currently the most adapted and most preferred of all rotation crops to the climate, soils and conservation farming systems of this northern region and growers are expected to increase the area planted again in 2006.

That’s partly because of the high levels of crown rot in cereals in 2005, and the role of chickpeas in managing crown rot is a major issue in  “Northern Grain Production – a farming systems approach”.

Co-editors of the booklet are QDPI&F senior extension agronomist Mike Lucy, NSWDPI technical specialist for pulse and oilseed farming systems, Don McCaffery, and Pulse Australia’s Program Manager for Crop Support, John Slatter.

Mr Slatter says the decision to produce “Northern Grain Production – a farming systems approach” was taken when pulse scientists realised that, while “heaps” of research had been done in northern NSW and Queensland on the value of pulses in rotation, very few of the results were in the public arena. 

“We very quickly obtained GRDC support for the idea and the Queensland and NSW DPIs came on board, with Mike Lucy and Don McCaffrey collating the results of trials in their respective states,” Mr Slatter said.

“We drew on collective industry expertise to put together papers on weed management in chickpeas, the crop’s role in crown rot management and the amount of soil nitrogen growers can expect chickpeas to contribute.

“But, because there’s no-one a farmer trusts more than another farmer, we interviewed 13 successful chickpea growers between the Macquarie River Valley in NSW and Central Queensland about their experiences with the crop.”

Mr Slatter says “Northern Grain Production – a farming systems approach” also contains details trials by NSWDPI at Warialda, Croppa Creek and North Star and by QDPI&F at St George, Billa Billa and Warra.  

Growers should be able to obtain free copies of the booklet from QDPI&F and NSWDPI offices across the region.